The Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Secretary Andriy Parubiy said he does not rule out the possibility of Russian troops invading Ukraine. "The country is in a state of war," Parubiy told reporters after meeting with the troops of the first battalion of the Ukrainian National Guard in Pavlodar, Dnipropetrovsk region.
Parubiy said Russia’s goal is to provoke a civil conflict and therefore an invasion by Russian troops cannot be ruled out, which means that “preparations for it need to be made.”
Parubiy also said provocations are possible in the southern and eastern regions of Ukraine during the May holidays, specifically, on May 1 and May 9. Such provocations may take place in the Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Mykolaiv, and other regions, he said.
The troops had a one hour back and forth talk with Parubiy at their request. The parties are not disclosing the issues addressed during this talk. After the talk, Parubiy gave the troops a set of bulletproof vests, communications means, food, weapons parts, and night vision equipment.
The first National Guard battalion is composed of 220 Maidan activists, mainly residents of western Ukraine.
